People and organizations tend to look for three elements when looking for a potential leader.  They look for things like great intelligence, powerful presentation skills or even a certain style or look.  How does he look?  How does he sound or come across?  Does he seem to know what he’s talking about?  This is how they measure candidates and, to some extent, the world around them.

God looks for other things when He is choosing potential leaders.  He looks for things like devotion, faithfulness and, most importantly, compassion.

The good news is that if you aren’t particularly brilliant or eloquent or stylish there’s still hope for you to be used in a mighty way by the Lord.  Others may write you off because you don’t stand out in some way that they can see but your real potential is still there.  It’s found in the Lord.

Don’t invest vital energy and effort into winning over those that merely look at externals.  Instead, devote yourself to the Lord.  Stand faithfully with Him through all the seasons of your life.  And, above all else, love Him and others with abandon.  If you do, God will most certainly notice and He will use you in amazing ways.  You will also be fulfilled.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart.“ 1 Samuel 16:7 (NCV)